Moontown

RICE AND SPLIT PEAS; SALT FISH AND RICE

MACARONI PIE; YAM PIE

GRILLED CHICKEN; BAKED PORK

FRIED STEAK FISH; GRILLED STEAK FISH

MIXED VEGETABLES; TOSSED SALAD

GREEN BANANA SALAD

Regional airline, LIAT, will spend at least US$54 million upgrading its aging fleet in the new year.

The process will begin, according to acting chief executive officer Brian Challenger, with extensive discussions with financiers, manufacturers, technical authorities, and civil aviation authorities.

“We need to look at the full implication of any changes,” said Challenger.

“Even staying with the same manufacturer and upgrading the aircraft will have certain implications, so that in doing a fleet renewal, changing your fleet or shifting your aircraft there are a number of players with whom you need to touch base.”

The Antigua-based carrier has a fleet of 18 Dash-8 aircraft, with 15 that have a seating capacity of 50, and three 37-seater planes.

In October, St Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister Ralph Gonsalves said the shareholders, which include the governments of St Vincent, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda, were seeking to replace the 37-seater planes with newer aircraft to the tune of US$54 million.

“The financing itself is a huge challenge as you can imagine but there are also regulatory, there are also operational, issues so that, yes, we have begun the process and we will intensify that process very early in the new year,” Challenger said.

“LIAT has been in discussion, not only with the Chinese but with a number of other manufacturers; the Chinese, Europeans, North Americans. We’ve kept all doors open and we are eager to speak to all parties so that we can come up with a mutually advantageous relationship as we go forward in this challenging environment.”

Canadian-based Bombadier is LIAT’s current supplier of aircraft.

- CMC

A Gleaner team went on to Jamaica’s streets, asking people what’s next for them. How tough will it be for the average man next year, given the rough 12 months the country has undergone?

Given the recent tax package, what are your expectations for the new year?

Candice Wray (17), student:

I think that a lot of persons are going to starve. I don’t know how people are going to survive from their income. The crime rate is definitely going to go up because when persons see others with things that they want and they cannot afford, they are going to turn to stealing.

Brienna Bailey (20), teacher

I don’t have any expectations for the New Year. The New Year looks very sad. What are we going to do if our wages are going to be frozen for the next two years? The increase in tax is going to cause more crime and violence. Many persons are losing their jobs and they have bills to pay. What are these persons going to do?

Sharlet Cockren (26), administrative assistant

I think things are going to get rougher in the new year. Things look very bleak for the new year and I think that there is not much hope for the young persons in our country.

… While more persons chimed in on the question: What items, if any, do you think the Government should remove from its latest tax package?

Elaine Gardiner (72), retired administrative assistant

I think that the Government should not have increased the tax on staple food. The Government should think of the masses who are uneducated and unemployed. If there should be an increase on food items, staple foods should not have been included. It is the poor people who consume these food items and are more vulnerable. I believe that eggs should not be a part of the tax. The Government should not have a tax increase in the Christmas as this is not a good start for the new year.

Lamarr Ferguson (20), administrative clerk

Taxes should be removed from items like ground provisions and women’s sanitary napkins, because I think those are unnecessary items to be taxed. Most of the items that are taxed are the things poor persons would normally buy, and I think most of them, like noodle soup and patties, are unnecessary to tax. It’s going to pose a problem for those whose income is already budgeted out.(Jamaica Gleaner)

The pedestrian bridge in Seamans Valley which was washed away by the overflowing Rio Grande. - photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer A five-year-old girl was washed away by heavy rains in St Mary yesterday and is now presumed dead.

Teemarie Barrett of Bays Mountain in St Mary was swept away by flood waters while she was completing a family errand about 2:45 p.m.

According to police reports, young Barrett was heading to the shop along the Bays Mountain main road and was washed away by surging waters. A passer-by tried to rescue her but was unsuccessful.

Search-and-rescue teams from the police and the fire brigade called off their hunt yesterday evening after futile attempts to locate her body.

The news followed heavy rainfall not seen in months, which caused heavy flooding in the parishes of St Mary and Portland. Roads were blocked, there were land slippages and one pedestrian bridge is no more.

Single-lane access

In St Mary, the rains made several roadways impassable and reduced some to single-lane traffic.

The National Works Agency (NWA) reported that the Outram River in Port Maria overflowed its banks, causing flooding along roadways in the town. The Rosend main road, which was rendered impassable by silt and debris earlier yesterday, was cleared for single-lane access.

There were also blockages along the Junction main road at Georgia, and between Broadgate and Tom’s River, which were also partially cleared for single-lane usage.

There was also flooding in Span Lane, Dumpland and along Fort George Road in Annotto Bay.

Severe flooding occurred in western St Mary along the Mason Hall main road, while the Derry main road was reduced to single-lane usage.

A land slippage at Huddersfield blocked a section of the main road from Little Bay to Oracabessa, and the main road in the town of Oracabessa is impassable as a result of inundation.

Land slippages in portland

Meanwhile, in western Portland, land slippages have occurred in Cascade, Buff Bay Valley, reducing several road sections to single-lane access.

The Alligator Church pedestrian bridge in eastern Portland was washed away, with pedestrians now using the new Alligator Church Bridge, which is nearing completion.

In the meantime, the Meteorological Service has issued a flash-flood warning for low-lying and flood-prone areas until five o’clock this afternoon.

A flash-flood warning means flooding has been reported or will occur shortly.

Residents in low-lying areas should be on the alert for rising water and be ready to move quickly to higher ground.

A frontal system and a trough in the vicinity of Jamaica are expected to continue to influence the weather across the island until today.

While the frontal system is expected to dissipate today, the trough and associated weather are expected to move away from the island by tomorrow.

Fishers and other marine interests are advised to exercise caution, as gusty winds and rough seas are likely.

John Beckford dangerously rides his bike along what is left of an embankment at Friday in the Rio Grande Valley, after rainfall yesterday led to land slippage. The roadway was completely destroyed.

This bus plunged into a gully in Hope Bay, Portland, killing 28-year-old Vanessa Francis of Box Street in St Mary, and Janice Core of Belfield, also in St Mary. The bodies were pulled from a canal by divers and other rescue workers who turned out in large numbers shortly after the accident. Two other persons, including a five-year-old girl, are still missing, while six were treated for minor injuries and released from the Port Antonio Hospital late last evening. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner WriterJamaica will hear tonight which of the newly taxable items will be dropped as the Government prepares to backtrack on aspects of the highly controversial tax package announced last week by Finance Minister Audley Shaw, amid deafening public outcry.

But the Government’s latest move will not deter the Opposition from hitting the streets in protest.

After announcing the third tax package in eight months, Jamaica House signalled yesterday that Prime Minister Bruce Golding would address the issue in a national broadcast tonight.

All systems go

But the People’s National Party (PNP) insisted defiantly that it was all systems go.

“No, it would not stop us,” declared Julian Robinson, PNP deputy general secretary, in response to Gleaner queries as to whether the party would proceed with plans to protest at six strategic locations across the island today.

“The opposition leader has made some requests. We have asked that a special session of Parliament be convened, among other things. We have not received a response from the prime minister, so we are prepared to proceed as planned,” Robinson said.

Simpson Miller had written to the prime minister requesting a parliamentary debate on the changes to the tax measures announced last Thursday.

Responding to Simpson Miller’s letter late yesterday, Golding said Parliament would debate the details of an International Monetary Fund programme in the new year.

He also said the Government would deliberate in Gordon House on the medium-term economic strategy and performance targets, as well as the policies to be pursued to stimulate economic growth and job creation.

Ignored debate call

However, general secretary of the PNP, Peter Bunting, indicated that Golding had ignored the opposition leader’s call for a debate in Parliament on the revised tax package before its introduction on January 1.

“The PNP, on behalf of the people of Jamaica, is insisting that Prime Minister Golding respects the parliamentary process and understands that Parliament is neither a rubber stamp nor an audience to observe the governance of the country.” Bunting insisted.

Further, Bunting argued: “We have no idea what the scale or scope of these revisions will be, it is very … very hard to curtail our plans on the basis of speculations.”

But Information Minister Daryl Vaz hit back, saying the PNP is without the moral authority to lead a protest.

“This is on the basis that it was their misguided policies which are major contributory factors that necessitated a tax package of $21 billion,” he declared

He added: “Furthermore, the prime minister has committed to the country to re-examine the tax package, it would only be irresponsible and premature to plan a demonstration.”

JCC urges caution

In the meantime, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) has joined a growing number of groups who point to the fragile state of the Jamaican economy and are urging the Opposition to be careful in how it carries out protest action at this time.

” … We urge an abundance of caution to ensure that nothing is done to further injure an economy which is already reeling from multiple internal and external shocks,” the JCC said in a release yesterday.

Highly placed government sources told The Gleaner that the Cabinet had capitulated to public outcry by approving the rolling back of the taxes on some basic food and other items.

However, the source said the tax would remain on others as the Government will still have to find the funds to close the budget gap.

The Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement yesterday that the decision to revise the announced tax package was made following a series of meetings with members of the Cabinet and a technical team from the Ministry of Finance, during which a number of new proposals were discussed. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Janet Silvera & Andre Wright, Staff Reporters
Accident survivors are rushed into the casualty department of the Kingston Public Hospital at midnight. - Photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

One hundred and forty-five passengers aboard American Airlines flight 331 from Miami narrowly missed death as the aircraft overran the Norman Manley International Airport runway in Kingston, ending inches away from the sea along the Port Royal main road last night.

More than 40 passengers aboard the Boeing 738 aircraft were taken to hospital, The Gleaner has learnt.

According to Information Minister Daryl Vaz, most of those suffered broken bones.

“Some (passengers) were shaken up badly, some are suffering from trauma and broken bones,” Robert Mais, a passenger who walked off without any scratches told The Gleaner.

According to Mais, the plane, which was scheduled to depart Miami at 7 p.m., was delayed for an hour. The trip, he said, was bumpy “and the landing was terrible”.

“We touched down pretty fast,” he added, noting that he could hear the engine’s reverse throttle, though the plane didn’t seem to be slowing down.

Instinctively, he said he placed his head down, “and it was over in a flash. I hardly felt the impact of the crash”.

Mais, who was seated in seat 6A in the business class section, said there was total darkness on impact, and everything was thrown out of the overhead compartments. He, however, did not realise the impact of the damage to the aircraft until he felt rain coming through the roof.

“When I came off the aircraft I saw that we were about 10-15 feet from the sea and boulders, so I walked on the beach to the road, where we were picked up by a bus.”

Chairman of the Airports Authority of Jamaica, Mark Hart, when contacted, said it was possible that torrential rainfall affecting the island could have caused the pilot to experience visibility problems.

“It is obviously a blessing that at this time of the year, what could have turned out to be a catastrophe, we were saved from,” said Hart.

At least one other airline was affected by the mishap. A Virgin Atlantic plane, fully loaded, heading for the United Kingdom, was delayed for an unknown period as the runway had to be closed.

Paul Hall, vice-president of NMIA, said the airport would be closed indefinitely and all flights would be rerouted to Sangster International in MoBay.

Efforts to get a comment from American Airlines officials locally proved futile.

About midnight, two ambulances pulled up at the Kingston Public Hospital with at least 10 passengers with minor injuries, one with a busted lip, others suffering with body pain.

Some passengers had been admitted earlier with broken bones, a source told this newspaper. Most of those admitted had head injuries.

The entrance to the accident and emergency unit was heavily guarded by more than a dozen armed police personnel.

Doctors and nurses were last night being called from home to boost resources at the reportedly short-staffed KPH, The Gleaner learnt.

Shortly after midnight, Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses’ Association of Jamaica, rushed into the casualty department, her face etched with concern.

At the Harbour View roundabout, amid pelting rain, police personnel cordoned off the area, blocking vehicular traffic to the accident site.

Superintendent Michael Bailey of the Kingston East Division, who was manning operations there, told The Gleaner at 12:30 this morning that no more injured passengers remained at the crash site. He said the police blockade at the Port Royal section of the Palisadoes strip would remain indefinitely.

A policeman blocks the path of a motorist at the blockaded Harbour View roundabout near the crash site early this morning.(Jamaica Gleaner)

 Always a hit: Santa Claus with the children. Inset, the horror house provided excitement for the children. (Pictures by Nigel Browne.)

THOUSANDS of Barbadians passed through Queen’s Park over the past weekend as they enjoyed the inaugural Christmas Wonderland spectacle.
The event, which formed part of the activities marking the 100th anniversary of Queen’s Park, was a family event which offered a variety of attractions.
Cranston Browne of Odyssey Productions, which organised the event, said given the response they were hoping to make it an annual event.
For the event, Queen’s Park was transformed with special lighting across its grounds, as patrons enjoyed and participated in a wide array of attractions.
There was entertainment, which featured some of the top acts including TC, Edwin, John King, Kareem Clarke, Paula Hinds, the Royal Barbados  Police Force Band  and the Foundation Choir among others.
There were jumping tents for the toddlers; a Santa playground for the older children and the beautifully lit winter wonderland workshop was a hit, in addition to an enchanted forest with Christmas trees.
At the opening ceremony last Friday evening, Minister of Social Care Chris Sinckler gave the feature address while Browne and chairman of the NCC Tyrone Lowe also spoke. (ES)(Nation News)